Save Aravalli Hills: Why Protecting India’s Oldest Mountain Range Matters

The Supreme Court settled on a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges, and paused the grant of fresh mining leases inside its areas spanning Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The Save Aravalli Hills movement has gained renewed urgency following a recent Supreme Court ruling that adopted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills. While the judgment paused fresh mining leases, concerns remained that the new definition could exclude large portions of this ancient mountain system from legal protection. 

The resulting public outcry reflects deeper anxieties about ecological degradation, water insecurity, and worsening pollution across North India. The debate around the Aravalli Ranges is therefore not only legal, but also environmental and developmental.

Why the Save Aravalli Movement Matters

The growing momentum of the Save Aravalli movement reflects public recognition that the fate of the range is closely linked to regional sustainability. Degradation of the Aravallis directly affects water availability, air quality, and climate resilience in North India. Urban centres such as Delhi, Gurugram, and Jaipur are particularly vulnerable to these impacts.

The movement has also highlighted the need for transparent governance and science-based policymaking. Calls for safeguarding biodiversity, maintaining ecological connectivity, and ensuring sustainable livelihoods resonate with India’s broader environmental commitments. By engaging citizens, legal institutions, and policymakers, the movement underscores that environmental protection is a shared responsibility.

Aravalli Mountain Range: Geographic and Ecological Significance

The Aravalli Mountain Range is among the oldest mountain systems in the world, estimated to be nearly two billion years old. Stretching over about 650 kilometres from Delhi to Gujarat, it passes through Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, forming a crucial ecological spine in north-western India.

Ecologically, the Aravallis act as a natural barrier against desertification by preventing the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert into the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains. This role has long made the range vital for climate moderation in the region. By influencing wind patterns and stabilising soil, the hills reduce dust storms and help regulate local temperatures.

Equally important is the role of the Aravallis in groundwater recharge. Rainwater percolates through the fractured rocks of the range, replenishing aquifers that support agriculture, urban settlements, and industry. Several important rivers such as the Chambal, Sabarmati, and Luni originate from or are sustained by the Aravalli system, underlining its hydrological importance.

The region also supports diverse flora and fauna, acting as a refuge for biodiversity in an otherwise semi-arid landscape. Forest patches, scrublands, and rocky outcrops together create wildlife corridors that connect protected areas across states. Protecting this ecological continuum lies at the heart of the Save Aravalli campaign.

Minerals, Mining, and Environmental Degradation

The Aravalli region is rich in minerals such as limestone, marble, sandstone, copper, zinc, and tungsten. These resources have historically made it a mining hub, contributing to regional economies and construction needs. However, decades of excessive quarrying have severely degraded the landscape.

Since the early 1990s, environmental regulations have sought to restrict mining to sanctioned projects. Despite this, illegal and unregulated mining expanded in several parts of Haryana and Rajasthan. Forest cover declined, hill slopes were flattened, and groundwater tables fell sharply. Air quality also worsened, particularly in the National Capital Region, as dust from mining and stone-crushing units added to existing pollution sources.

In 2009, the Supreme Court imposed a blanket ban on mining in districts such as Faridabad, Gurugram, and Mewat in Haryana. While this was a landmark intervention, enforcement challenges persisted on the ground and resulted in continuation of illegal extraction in many areas.

These developments set the stage for renewed judicial scrutiny and form an essential backdrop to the Aravalli Range latest news surrounding recent court interventions.

Supreme Court Intervention and the Uniform Definition Debate

A central challenge in protecting the Aravallis has been the absence of a uniform definition. Different States and agencies relied on varying criteria such as slope, vegetation, or buffers to identify Aravalli formations. This inconsistency created regulatory loopholes that were often exploited to permit mining or construction.

To address this, the Supreme Court constituted a committee comprising representatives from the Environment Ministry, the Forest Survey of India, the Geological Survey of India, State Forest Departments, and the Central Empowered Committee. In 2025, the Court accepted the committee’s recommendation that hills above 100 metres in height would be considered part of the Aravalli range.

The Court reasoned that a clear and workable definition was necessary to bring administrative uniformity across States. Earlier slope-based or buffer-based definitions, it observed, risked excluding large areas altogether due to inconsistent application. At the same time, environmental groups expressed concerns that smaller hill formations, despite their ecological importance, might fall outside the new definition.

This tension between legal clarity and ecological continuity has become a focal point of the Save Aravalli movement, reflecting broader debates on how environmental protection should be framed in law.

Central Empowered Committee Recommendations

Recognising the long-term ecological risks of unregulated mining, the Central Empowered Committee proposed a science-based and multi-layered strategy for protecting the Aravallis. 

Key elements of the approach include comprehensive scientific mapping of the Aravalli range across all States, allowing for a shared and credible knowledge base. The Committee also called for macro-level environmental impact assessments of mining activities to capture cumulative effects rather than project-by-project impacts.

Crucially, it recommended strict prohibition of mining in ecologically sensitive zones such as wildlife corridors, aquifer recharge areas, water bodies, and protected habitats. Until mapping and assessments are completed, no new mining leases or renewals are to be permitted. The Committee further highlighted the need to tightly regulate stone-crushing units that contribute significantly to air pollution.

These measures underline an approach of ecosystem-based management, a principle strongly echoed in the Save Aravalli discourse.

Conclusion

The debate around the Aravallis is ultimately about the kind of development India chooses to pursue. The Aravalli Mountain Range is not merely a repository of minerals, but a living system that sustains water, climate, and biodiversity for millions. The recent Supreme Court ruling and subsequent public mobilisation have brought this reality into sharp focus.

Protecting the Aravallis through informed policy, responsible mining practices, and long-term ecological restoration is essential for regional resilience. The Save Aravalli movement, therefore, represents more than a response to the Supreme Court ruling, it is a call to safeguard a natural heritage that underpins the future of North India.

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Save Aravalli FAQs 

1. Why is the Aravalli Mountain Range important for India?

Ans. It supports groundwater recharge, biodiversity, and climate regulation etc.

1. What did the Supreme Court decide on the Aravalli hills?

Ans. It adopted a uniform legal definition and paused new mining leases.

1. How do the Aravallis potentially affect Delhi NCR’s environment?

Ans. They help reduce pollution, dust storms, and water stress.

1. Which states are covered under the Aravalli range?

Ans. Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

1. What environmental threats do the Aravallis face?

Ans. Mining, deforestation, and urban expansion.